Genetic genealogy helps solve Arlington killing 14 years after woman found stabbed 100 times, police say
A renewed push by Arlington's cold‑case unit has apparently solved one of the city's most brutal homicides, 14 years after police say a woman was stabbed nearly 100 times in her apartment.
Arlington police have charged Mayra Velasquez, 42, with capital murder in the 2012 killing of Irasema Chavez, 32. Velasquez is being held in the Tarrant County Jail.
The case remained unsolved for years until new forensic analysis identified Velasquez, closing a mystery that had shaken an Arlington neighborhood and frustrated investigators.
According to authorities, Chavez was found dead with numerous stab wounds on Jan. 20, 2012, after family members checked on her at the Aspenwood Apartments on South Collins Street. Police found no signs of forced entry, leading investigators to believe she knew her attacker.
No immediate suspects were named, DNA evidence failed to match anyone in databases at the time, and witnesses were able to provide limited information.
Arlington police say they pursued numerous leads over the years but were unable to identify a definitive suspect until Velasquez's arrest.
In 2016, Arlington police provided Parabon NanoLabs with a DNA profile developed from blood found at the scene. Using that profile, Parabon created a prediction of the suspect's physical appearance.
In November 2024, the Arlington Police Department's homicide unit consulted the FBI Dallas Field Office regarding the use of investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) in the case. The FBI agreed to assist through its IGG program.
Earlier in 2026, IGG's work produced a significant lead that detectives used to develop further evidence. Police did not disclose the nature of the new evidence, but it was sufficient to obtain a warrant for Velasquez's arrest.
CBS News Texas reporter Briseida Holguin says Velasquez previously worked as a realtor and more recently as a sales representative for a local limo company. People who knew her told Holguin that they were surprised and shocked to learn of her arrest.
Arlington police and the FBI Dallas Field Office are scheduled to hold a 10:30 a.m. Wednesday briefing to discuss the collaborative investigation that resulted in the arrest.
CBS News Texas will provide updates as more information becomes available.
